Uncover Your Thread

Yesterday, I reconnected with a longtime friend. While hanging out over lunch, Donna introduced me to a colleague, "Kristin". As the three of us were talking, Kristin shared her apprehension with the uncertainty that comes with being unemployed in a limited job market.
I asked Kristin to tell me a little about herself, especially with regard to things she enjoys doing and about which she is most passionate. Now, this is a question that most of us don't encounter every day and it's not what we expect to hear from someone we've just met. So I tried to convey with this young woman that I was genuinely interested in her and had experienced something firsthand that I thought she may find helpful.
I explained my own frustration in spending most of my adult life attempting what I had once seen as a jumbled assortment of jobs... teaching, sales, art, frustrated entrepreneur...
But something interesting has happened over the last couple of years. I've realized that running through everything that I have done AND have been excited about has been a single thread. I now know that my purpose in life is to help other people share their stories.
Whether
- I'm shooting compelling images that convey what an architect or builder is capable of creating or
- I'm exploring an international city, capturing photos and stories that share the passions of the people
... what I'm really doing is utilizing my insatiable curiosity and visual skill to help other people tell their stories.
Uncovering this thread running through EVERYTHING I do and find exciting has given such clarity to my life. I am a visual storyteller. I now know what I love. I love people and I'm passionate about helping them share their stories.

So Kristin, my new friend, as you are searching for a job, the most important question to ask yourself is "what do you love?"

** Followup **
Kristin shared with me that she loves
1. to run (from 5Ks to marathons) and
2. she loves working with children.
I said, "do you know there's a charity called 'Girls on the Run' that teaches young women life skills through running?"

It sounds like a great place to start looking for the new job that you will love.